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A towering wave of magma, thousands of feet high, suddenly surged up and then came crashing down. As magma splashed across the sky, the rapidly spinning magma vortex began to slow.
As the vortex's rotation gradually decreased, the surface of the magma sea began to bulge. Crimson magma rapidly spread outward, and along with it, a towering ancient stone gate slowly emerged from the magma under countless feverish gazes.
As the magma on the stone gate quickly receded, an ancient and primordial aura immediately filled the heavens and earth. Under the weight of this aura, all became still. Even formidable beings like Qian Renhan, Gu Yuan, and Hun Tiandi couldn't help but feel a surge of fear from deep within.
Countless gazes across the land converged on the ancient stone gate, eventually settling on the four ancient characters engraved above it:
"Ancient Emperor's Cave!"
Millions of miles away, Xiao Yan, who was leading the Flame Alliance to scavenge from various ancient clans in hopes of finding precious flames, instinctively turned and stared blankly in the direction of Jia Nan Academy.
"What's wrong, Xiao Yan?" Cai Lin asked, puzzled, as she held Xiao Xiao in her arms.
"Daddy?" Xiao Xiao called out as well.
"I'm just imagining things… just my imagination," Xiao Yan scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.
The massive ancient stone gate stood tall upon the magma. Its immense size made everyone seem incredibly small in comparison. To their eyes, the gate appeared like a world unto itself—mysterious and profound.
"Hahaha! I, the Emperor, finally see daylight again!"
A pillar of magma soared into the sky, and with it erupted a fierce aura so intense it made the heavens and earth tremble.
"Boom!"
The magma waterfall shot high into the sky before crashing down violently into the sea of magma, turning into massive waves that rapidly spread out, completely engulfing distant mountain ranges.
"Father!"
"Lord Old Dragon Emperor!"
As the massive waves subsided, Zhu Kun poked his head out. Sensing many familiar auras in the sky, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then, transforming into his human form, he appeared beside Zi Yan and rubbed her head. This time, he could finally touch her in person instead of using an energy projection.
Zi Yan turned her head away in annoyance. She hated having her head rubbed—father or not.
To break the awkwardness, Qian Renhan interjected politely, "Senior Zhu Kun."
Zhu Kun smiled calmly and said thoughtfully, "Qian Renhan, you've indeed reached my level. Though I'm of a much older generation, your strength is now comparable to mine. Strength reigns supreme—just call me Zhu Kun."
Zi Yan's beautiful eyes flickered with dissatisfaction at his words.
Qian Renhan shook his head. "Senior Zhu Kun passed his teachings to me. I cannot forgo honorifics merely because my strength has grown."
Void Swallowing Flame interjected, "Shouldn't we deal with Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan before entering the Ancient Emperor's Cave?"
Qian Renhan glanced at Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, whose expressions were filled with killing intent. "A Half-Emperor isn't so easily defeated. If they are dead set on escaping, it won't be easy for us to eliminate them. Let's open the cave door first."
Hearing this, Void Swallowing Flame agreed. The ancient jade in his hand suddenly shot out a dazzling beam of light that pierced the sky and struck the ancient stone gate directly. Having fully activated the ancient jade's power, he unleashed it to its peak.
"Boom!"
As the beam landed, the ancient door, sealed for countless ages, began to slowly stir. Cracks gradually spread across its surface.
The cracks widened, and after a moment, with a creaking sound, the ancient stone gate slowly swung open on both sides.
"Whoosh!"
At the instant the gate opened, an ancient wave of energy, seemingly from the primordial era, burst forth. This energy struck both armies like a hammer, shattering their formations. Those of weaker strength were flung thousands of feet away.
"It's finally opening…" Zhu Kun stared, lost in thought. He had been trapped in that other space for so long, trying countless methods to open the cave, all in vain. But today, at last, he witnessed this moment.
As the transparent path formed, Qian Renhan, Zhu Kun, and Void Swallowing Flame shot forward almost simultaneously. Just as they moved, Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi also transformed into streaks of rainbow light, darting into the passage like lightning.
With everyone entering, the sky fell into emptiness once more. Only the ancient stone gate remained, standing silently above the sea of magma.
A faint mist enveloped this mysterious space, casting a hazy veil over the entire realm.
The space was deathly silent, as if it had slumbered for tens of thousands of years.
In this seemingly boundless expanse, a floating landmass hovered in mid-air without any visible support, like a palace suspended in the sky.
"This is the Ancient Emperor's Cave?" Qian Renhan had just landed and immediately scanned the surroundings. But to his surprise, even with his powerful imperial-level soul, he couldn't probe more than ten thousand feet away. Clearly, this place suppressed soul power significantly.
"Zi Yan, stay close to me," Zhu Kun said coldly, grabbing her wrist and glaring at Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, who had entered alongside them.
He glanced at Hun Tiandi and the others, then his gaze swept across the space, a strange glint flickering in his eyes. "Follow me," he said in a low voice, and immediately took the lead, speeding off into the distance. Qian Renhan and Zhu Kun quickly followed.
"That Void Swallowing Flame… he knows the way?" Gu Yuan was surprised. Even he felt suppressed here and couldn't detect the location of the Emperor-grade Nascent Pill. Yet Void Swallowing Flame moved as if familiar with the terrain.
Zhu Kun nodded thoughtfully. "Looks like one of those two flames from back then—one black, one white—was indeed Void Swallowing Flame. The other must have been the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame."
The two factions sped across the vast, boundless land like streaks of meteor light, tearing through the sky.
"This land is larger than the entire territory of any of the eight ancient clans."
Along the way, they encountered a total of twenty-two colossal stone pillars. Except for the last two, each held a different Heavenly Flame—ranked fourth to twenty-third on the Dou Qi Continent's Heavenly Flame list.
"If the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame is here too, then all the Heavenly Flames on the continent would be gathered in one place."
Upon reaching the final stone pillar, Zhu Kun glanced at the two flame-less columns, then at Void Swallowing Flame, and muttered to himself.
(End of Chapter)